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Preschool Debate
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14738 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
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11 / 1988 |
1,784 Words |
| Author
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Lesley A. Northup
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At 8:00 A.M., four-year-old Laura is dressing to attend John Burroughs Elementary School, Washington, D.C., where she will spend the morning in a publicly supported Montessori school. Next-door, a grandmother watches four preschoolers, including Laura's younger sister, in a home-based day-care setting.
Five blocks away, Rob, also four, buckles his seat belt in preparation for his daily trip across town to the Rosemount Center, a bilingual preschool in the Adams-Morgan district. There he will play and develop life and socialization skills in both Spanish and English.
These children are part of the massive preschool boom that is sparking some of the hottest educational debates of the decade. The rate of preschool enrollment for three- and four-year-olds has almost doubled in the last fifteen years, according to a study published by the Center for Policy Research in Education. The increase of working mothers—from 25 percent in 1965 to 54 percent in 1986—is a factor in preschool popularity. In addition, there is a growing parental interest in early childhood development, supported by research proving that disadvantaged children who attend preschool have an advantage over their peers.
Types of programs
In the midst of this mushrooming growth, parents of small children may find themselves bewildered by the staggering array of program options. Preschool programs range from the very expensive to the free (if you don't count taxes); from highly achievement-oriented to recreational; from family-centered to boarding schools. Some popular types include
·Traditional home-based childcare;
·Day-care centers, which provide all-day care, but not necessarily education, for children of working parents;
·Private schools, which may be church-related, part of nationwide chains, parent-organized, or structured on a variety of other models;
·Specialized schools, which offer education in a particular skill (a second language, for instance) or meet special needs (learning disabilities and others);
·Head Start, which is administered through the public school system with federal funds and intended for disadvantaged youngsters;
·Montessori programs, which may be either public or private, and advocate child-initiated learning in a carefully prepared environment;
·Parent-centered programs like the Early Childhood Family Education Program in Minneapolis, which recognize and support the parent as the child's first teacher.
Besides growth in enrollment and in program variety, there are other hot preschool issues, including the rise of academically oriented preschools, an emphasis on making preschool available to all youngsters, an expanding public school role, and increased parental involvement.
Each of these factors raises questions for both parents and educators.
Who should attend preschool?
Among low-income
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